FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE




LEAKED
TAPE
EXPOSES
TORIES
SPONSORING
STUDENT

GOVERNMENT
TAKEOVERS
AND
ATTACKS
ON
NON­PROFIT

ORGANIZATIONS
AT
CAMPUSES
ACROSS
ONTARIO




Audio
files,
photos
and
transcripts
leaked
to
the
website
Wikileaks.org
has
exposed


the
Ontario
Progressive
Conservative
Campus
Association
(OPCCA)
as
hosting

workshops
dedicated
to
teaching
Campus
Conservatives
how
to
take
over
student

governments
and
defeat
perceived
enemies
including
the
Ontario
Public
Interest


Research
Group
(OPIRG)
and
the
Canadian
Federation
of
Students
(CFS).


These
files
and
photos,
gathered
from
a
series
of
workshops
occurring
in
early
2009


on
campuses
across
Ontario,
provide
evidence
that,
with
the
apparent
support
of

representatives
from
both
the
Ontario
Progressive
Conservatives
and
the


Conservative
Party
of
Canada,
the
OPCCA
is
attempting
to
covertly
influence
the

political
climate
of
Ontario’s
university
campuses.




Presenters
and
participants
are
caught
on
tape
advocating
for
the
creation
of
front

groups
for
the
Conservative
Party
to
masquerade
as
non‐partisan
grassroots


organizations,
influencing
the
political
discourse
on
campus,
stacking
student

elections
with
Party
members,
and
conspiring
to
defeat
non‐profit
organizations

because
of
political
differences,
all
with
the
intention
of
hiding
their
affiliations
to


the
Party
in
the
process.


This
apparent
attempt
by
the
Conservative
to
interfere
with
student
governance
and


undermine
non‐profit
organizations
is
ethically
troubling.
We
urge
students,

journalists,
and
citizens
alike
to
take
action
on
this
issue
and
keep
our
campuses


free
from
influence‐peddling
by
political
parties
so
as
to
uphold
a
strong
and
healthy

forum
for
democracy.

























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